1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to food preparation appliances. In particular, the present invention relates to an improved toaster having a shut-off switch for improved safety.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electric toasters have been commonly employed for numerous years. Such toasters include a housing which defines one or more slots to receive the slice of bread, pastry or other item to be toasted. Located within the slot is a vertically moveable carriage upon which the bread rests, .and a plurality of electrical heating elements which cause the toasting of the bread. In use, the carriage is moved downward to cause the bread to be received with the slots adjacent the heating elements, with the carriage being spring biased upward. At its lowest operative position, the carriage will be releasable locked into position with the physical presence of the carriage causing activation of a switch to energize the heating elements. After a predetermined time and/or temperature the carriage is released from this lowest position, with the spring bias tending to move the carriage upward. This upward movement will disengage the switch to deenergize the heating elements and bring the bread partially out of the slot where it may be manually retrieved by the user.
In actual practice, however, it has been found that the bread will occasionally become jammed when in the lowest position of the carriage, or the bread may have a sufficient weight to overcome the spring biasing force. In either instance, the carriage cannot move upward upon completion of the predetermined time and/or temperature. As the carriage does not move upward, the switch to deenergize the heating elements is not deactivated, and the heating elements remain energized. This may cause excessive heating of the bread, and may even lead to combustion of the bread within the toaster causing a fire hazard.